Michigan School Elects Special Needs Homecoming King

Fall in high school means one thing perhaps more than others: football. And with football comes the ritual homecoming king and queen selections. In Linden, Michigan, a small rural community located between Flint, Michigan, and Detroit, it's no different. Linden is just an average small town, but in quality of life and paying it forward, it's a world leader, particularly at the local high school. Students at Linden High School elected a special needs boy, Danny Leideker, as their homecoming king. Michigan School Elects Special Needs Homecoming King

Closed Detroit Science Center Might Reopen

The Detroit Science Center closed in September because of financial hardship. The facility faced foreclosure and a public auction of collections on July 5. But a businessman is looking to buy the museum and reopen it as an educational science facility, the Detroit News reports. Let's hope the DSC, a world-class educational venue, can reopen and continue serving visitors. Let's hope, too, that this venture will be a genuine give-back to the community that has so faithfully supported it and not just an expansionist marketing ploy. It's a shame with vital educational enterprises get exploited by privatization. Closed Detroit Science Center Might Reopen 

'You're Not Special' Graduation Speech is Spot On

When I first read about the graduation speaker who told students "you're not special," it hit a discordant note. Then I realized that he's absolutely correct, pragmatically and in the larger point he was making. According to BostonHerald.com, Wellesley High English teacher David McCullough Jr. demonstrated in his speech that, by the numbers, students are a pretty pedestrian lot and that they've got it pretty easy. I think kids and we parents, too, need to hear more of this kind of thinking. It may seem harsh, but it's realistic. Read on   'You're Not Special' Graduation Speech is Spot On

Michigan House Approves Changes to 4-Year-Old Kindergarten Age

Currently, the state of Michigan says 4-year-old children may be enrolled in kindergarten as long as they turn five by December 1. State lawmakers are considering whether children are, in fact, mature enough to start school at that age, says Michigan Radio. The Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would gradually narrow age requirements for children enrolled in any given year.  Michigan House Approves Changes to 4-Year-Old Kindergarten Age